Clothesline tightener



F. "B. SIMPSON c-Lo'rnmsm'fls TIGHTENER Filed Oct. 14, 1927 INVENTOR. flan/t B. Smwpson.

Patented Aug. 20, 1929.

PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK B. SIMPSON, OF POUGHKEEPSIE, NEW YORK.

CLOTHESLINE TIGI-ITENER.

Application filed October 14, 1927.

This invention relates to a device for tightening or winding up the slack in clothes lines, and particularly to that class of lines where two pulleys are employed, one of Which is attached to the house and the other to a pole in the yard, and the line is run through both pulleys and the ends secured to the tightener to form an endless line.

lVhile there are some devices now in use for this purpose they are either attached or form a part of one of the pulleys or they are complicated, containing many parts, such as ratchets, pawls, etc, which become useless after being some time subjected to weather conditions.

The object of the presentinvention is to provide a simple and effective device for this purpose that shall be easily installed, contain few parts and be very strong and dura ble, and capable of winding up a quantity of line.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of this kind that shall be open to prevent the catching of snow or other matter to become clogged and rust the device.

With these and other objects in View my invention consists in certain novel construction and combination of parts as will hereinafter be fully described and claimed and illustrated in the accompanying drawings which form a part hereof and in which like figures of reference refer to corresponding parts in all of the views, and in which- Figure 1 shows the device in use as applied to a line mounted on two pulleys.

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the device, showing the two ends of line attached, but not wound up.

Figure 3 shows a side elevation of the same.

Figure 4 shows an end view, illustrating the manner of locking the crank.

Figure 5 is a detail view of the eye in the shaft.

Referring to the drawings, the device comprises a frame in the form of a rectangle and constructed of one piece of sheet metal or other suitable material, although I do not confine myself to this construction, as a casting may be employed and of a different shape if desired.

Serial No. 226,055.

As shown this piece of sheet metal is shaped with a curved end 10, the straight sides 11 and the short ends 12 overlapped and pierced with holes in registry with each 5 other, and through which is placed a hollow rivet 13, which serves the double purpose of holding the ends 12 together and forming a guide for the clothes line 14 to pass through.

The end 10 is also formed with a hole in line with the holes in the ends 12, and a similar tubular rivet 15; and to one side of the frame is attached also by the rivets 13 and 15, a curved handle 16, of like or suitable material.

For winding up the clothes line, there is provided a combined shaft and hand crank which is formed with the shaft portion 17 rotatably mounted in holes formed in the sides 11; and a crank portion 18 without the frame and bent at right angles thereto.

Said shaft portion 17 is also formed with an eye 19 within said frame, and in contact with the inner surface of one side thereof, to prevent the removal of said shaft, and through this eye 19 is passed one end of the clothes line 14 and a knot 20 tied therein, while the other end of the line 14 after passing through the two pulleys 21 is passed through the tubular rivet 13 and knotted.

As the frame is held by the handle 16, and the shaft 17 rotated by the crank 18 the line will be wound up on said shaft, and to retain said shaft from rotation in the opposite direction and lock it, there is provided a latch 22 having one end pivoted to the end 10 and the other end resting on the edge of the side 11 and hooked under the crank 18 as shown in Figure 4, and when it is desired to release the crank to let out the line, this latch is turned back from engagement with the crank, and it will thus be noted that as the crank is rotated forward to wind up on the line, that it will raise and pass the latch at every revolution, but can not turn back.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

In a clothes line tightener of the class described, and in combination with a rectangular frame formed with alined holes in the ends thereof, and alined hearings in the sides thereof, of a combined shaft and crank, comsaid frame, With its free end resting upon the prising a straight portion mounted in said opposite side of said frame, for the purpose bearings, an eye formed therein Within said of preventing the backward rotation of said 10 frame and preventing the Withdrawal of crank. I

5 said shaft, said shaft being bent into the In testimony whereof I aflix my signaform of a crank Without said frame, and a ture. latch having one end pivoted to one end of FRANK B. SIMPSON. 

